Buddy the Elf Makes His Advertising Debut as an Eager Store Employee in Asda’s Christmas Campaign
This is the first time that the movie and character have been licensed for brand marketing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnW1TWqAXYs
Will Ferrell as his character Buddy the Elf singing in an Asda store
The 2003 movie Elf has become a beloved Christmas classic, but its main character, played by Will Ferrell, has never appeared in a holiday ad—until now.
Buddy the Elf is the star of British supermarket Asda’s Christmas campaign, marking the first time the film has been licensed for brand marketing.
In the ad, created by agency Havas London, Buddy tries out for a job at an Asda store. But with his overeager festive cheerfulness—recognizable from his antics in the movie—he causes a bit of disruption as the employees prepare for another busy holiday season.
In one scene, the oversized elf gets sidetracked from the shop floor while promising two coworkers that they’ll make snow angels and go ice skating. He later eats the sample maple-flavored pigs in blankets when he’s not supposed to, before startling some shoppers with his loud singing.
By the end of the day, however, Buddy has managed to charm the Asda managers and bring an extra dose of Christmas magic to the store. He gets the job. The ad’s tagline wishes viewers: “Have your Elf a Merry Christmas.”
Staying true to Buddy
Diehard Elf fans will likely recognize Buddy’s dialogue, because the ad’s creators used original footage from the film and rotoscoped it into new scenes shot on a set built to resemble an Asda store. The script was written to include some of Buddy’s famous lines and actions, and the ad was graded to match the look and feel of the movie.
Danny Kleinman directed the commercial through production company Rattling Stick, while creative studio Framestore handled post-production and VFX.
Ferrell’s team and licensing partners at Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products were involved throughout the creative process and gave final approval on the script and edit. Before receiving licensing permission, the teams from Asda and Havas had to demonstrate that they were Elf fans and would stay true to the character.
“It’s actually my favorite film, but now we’ve probably watched it collectively 737 times,” said Stephi Brett-Lee, Asda’s senior director of brand communications and marketing.
The brand and agency were also not allowed to use deepfake technology to recreate Buddy’s likeness, rewrite any of the original movie lines or have the elf do anything that wasn’t faithful to his character traits.
One example is the Asda food that Buddy samples in the commercial. Ferrell’s team insisted that Buddy stick to one of the four main food groups eaten by elves, as outlined in the film: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. So, Buddy would not have tried regular British pigs in blankets (mini sausages wrapped in bacon), but the maple-flavored ones carried by Asda were okay.
“[Ferrell’s team] said, ‘Buddy would love those,’” Havas London chief creative officer Vicki Maguire recalled. “We knew we were dealing with an icon, and we cannot be the brand that doesn’t do him justice.”
Fodder for the fans
Buddy the Elf is a good fit for the Asda brand because he “encapsulates the essence of Christmas—this unbridled joy,” Brett-Lee said. “He encapsulates the cheer we wanted to spread for the nation. It doesn’t hurt he’s dressed in [the brand’s color] green, as well.”
For Elf fans, the ad is full of hidden easter eggs and clues referencing the movie. On Nov. 4, the day the campaign launches, the retailer will host a social media competition offering Asda rewards to the first 50 people who can find all the Elf clues in the commercial. The brand has been dropping teasers on social media since October.
In addition to the ad, which will premiere on British TV channel ITV during the show Coronation Street, Asda will run in-store announcements featuring Buddy and sell a limited-edition range of Elf-themed food and merchandise.
Asda has also planned a number of initiatives to help customers with the cost of living crisis, including collecting toys for children’s charities, offering a “festive surprise” to five different community groups, meal deals for pensioners and children in its stores’ cafés and grants to support community organizations with increased rent and bills.
The brand’s commitment to helping its local communities was part of the reason Ferrell allowed Buddy to be licensed for the ad, Brett-Lee explained.
When the completed version was sent to Ferrell, his team replied with his final verdict: “He loves it,” Maguire said.
CREDITS:
Brand: Asda
Senior director, brand communications and marketing: Stephi Brett-Lee Head of campaigns: Rebecca Holmes
Campaign manager: Amy Kennedy
Production manager: Claire Ibbotson
Creative agency: Havas London
CEO: Xavier Rees
Chief creative officer: Vicki Maguire
Chief client officer: James Fox
Creative director: Dan Cole, Andy Garnett
Associate creative director: Rob Greaves, Sam Daly
Senior art director: Richard Gorton-Lee (Chunky)
Senior copywriter: Mark Wilson
Senior designer: Sam Kallen
Creative production director: Dean Trendler
Head of strategy: Britt Iversen
Strategy director: Flo Sharp
Senior strategist: Jack Lewis-Barclay
Managing partner: Dave Owen
Business director: Jamie Bolton
Account director: Cherith MacRitchie
Account manager: Sophie Hodges
Account executive: Caitlin Toohey
Head of production: Katie Keith
Head of film: Louise Bonnar
Production lead: Olivia Riddle
Senior producer: Adam Henderson, Barney Ferguson
Producer: Rhy Hogan
Assistant producer: Ella Myerscough-McClymont
Media agency: Spark Foundry UK
Chief client officer: Katharine Baker
Managing partner, planning: Felicity Bowen
Business director, planning: Jon Hill
Account director, planning: Sarah Codd
Account manager, planning: Clare Miles
Group account director, activation: Lyndsey Terrill
Group account director, activation: Mike Lawrence
Head of performance planning: Mark Oldfield
Digital excellence lead: Callum Sergison
Paid social business director: George Tilbury
Social agency: The Hut Group
PR agency: COW
POS agency: Creative Race
Production company: Rattling Stick
Director: Daniel Kleinman
Executive producer: Johnnie Frankel
Producer: Amy Appleton
DOP: Ben Smithard
Production designer: Joseph Bennett
Costume designer: Verity Hawkes
Make-up and hair: Beverley Pond-Jones
Casting director: Greg Kyle
Editor: Eve Ashwell @ The Assembly Rooms
Post-production and VFX: Framestore
Creative director: Kamen Markov
VFX supervisor: Jules Janaud
Compositing supervisor: Ben Taylor
Head of advertising: Helen Weil
Executive producer: Anna MacDonald
Grade: Company3
Colorist: Stef Perry
Previs: The Third Floor
Sound: 750
Sound engineer: Sam Ashwell
Music supervisor: Daniel Breheny @ Soho Music
Track: Frank Sinatra – “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”
Choir arranged, recorded and produced by Luis Almau for Soundtree Music
Music supervisor: Neil Athale
Licensing: Born Licensing
Director: David Born
Senior licensing executive: Amber Cheung
CEO, talent republic: Anne Batz
Managing director, Talent Republic: Charlie Powell
Senior account executive, Talent Republic: Ella Barker
Researcher, Talent Republic: Louise Urwin
View the original article on Adweek HERE.